Household Remedy to Clean Nubuck

Jennifer Eblin

Nubuck has a buttery, soft feel and is commonly used to make shoes. The best way to clean nubuck requires leather conditioner, but you may keep the items made of nubuck looking good and feeling soft with household remedies.

Home Remedies

Mix equal parts baking soda and cornstarch into a fine powder and sprinkle inside the nubuck shoes. Shake the shoes lightly to evenly coat the inside of the shoes. Leave the mixture in the shoes overnight and then empty the shoes. The mixture removes unusual smells and restores the original soft feel of the material. For scuff marks, lightly run fine-grit sandpaper over the scuff mark.

Considerations

Online shoes retailer Zappos recommends using a leather conditioner or leather cleaner on nubuck shoes or any type of leather. No home remedy or product can achieve the same results.

Warning

Do not soak nubuck shoes in a large amount of water or use water as a cleaning solution. Water actually damages the leather and leaves behind water spots.